Nordhavn 40 Crossed the Atlantic
Story by Judy Waldman
Update on “Phil’s Big Adventure"
The bottom line to this inspirational story is that Philippe brought his yacht Embracing Life and his crew safely to port after accomplishing his goal of crossing the Atlantic Ocean under his own power. Philippe departed Miami on May 28th and docked in Barcelona on July 12th.
The first half of the trip went smoothly and ocean transiting was as beautiful and exciting as anticipated. After arrival in Bermuda, partial crew change as planned, and refueling, Embracing Life departed with a course heading direct for the Azores. The first glitch in the trip was Tropical Storm Alex, the first named storm of 2022, passed near Bermuda on June 5th and left rolling seas in her wake. Embracing Life encountered the aftermath upon departure. The four-foot swells were comfortably managed with the passive stabilization system affectionately called flopper-stoppers.
A break in the narrative is necessitated here to explain this oddly-termed, bizarre looking appendage first made famous for their use on commercial fishing boats and trollers and popularized in the yachting world mostly by their frequent use on Nordhavns. Flopper-stopper is a nomenclature that should specifically refer to the system in use when at anchor, with paravanes being the terminology for the system including the “fish” when underway. The concept is basic physics. Two long poles are attached on the upper deck and are stowed in their upright position. When bad weather is anticipated or when one of the guests start complaining about the roll, the flopper-stoppers are deployed. This can be a dangerous activity in rough seas so their use must be anticipated so that the paravanes can be launched in manageable sea conditions. Once the poles are positioned overboard, they are horizontal to the vessel. Guy lines, attached to the top of the mast, are secured to keep the poles at a 90 degree angle to the vessel. A line is attached to each pole and secured to the vanes or as sometimes nicknamed “fish” or “birds.” The fish are metal plates of various forms that provide underwater resistance. These plates, frequently baffled, work in unison in that when a wave causes the boat to roll, the resistance of the opposing fin balances the stress or degree of roll by resisting the upward motion at anchor, or if underway, the fish are “swimming” alongside. When one of the fish resists the upward motion, the opposite fin sinks lower. One can surely appreciate the stress this can put on a fiberglass yacht at the contact points.
Philippe handled the stress better than the mast. He asked the crew to launch the paravanes after departure from Bermuda. Half-way to the Azores, with 10 foot swells, Philippe was at the helm when he noticed movement in the mast. It was not long before the strain and gravitational forces pulled the mast down with the eventuality of the horizontal poles submerging while still affixed. The “fish” that had been swimming alongside were now dangling by their attached rope…until the rope got caught in the prop. Call it wallowing, foundering or whatever nautical term you choose to apply, the bottom line was there were 5 people aboard a 40 foot yacht in the middle of the ocean with a line wrapped around the prop, no functioning stabilizers, and Philippe trying to formulate plans for arriving safely in port, any port, while maintaining an atmosphere of calm and confidence amongst his crew, none of whom had previously crossed an ocean.
The next day, with the seas calming down, provided a window of opportunity to assess the situation. Using a boat hook with a GoPro camera attached, they were able to visualize the underwater damage and make assessments to help formulate plans. In the end, Maxime put on his diving gear and was able to cut the rope from the prop and then cut the cables to free the mangled/dangled poles. Two new reefs in the making. The mast was secured to the foredeck, engine cranked right up, and after two and a half days of drifting off course the journey continued.
For the sake of brevity, I am leaving out significant details that are worth mentioning. Philippe’s wife Florence was at home in Miami. Florence was the contact person via satphone and she and Philippe became the problem solvers and directors. Nordhavn was instrumental in providing situational support and assisting in advice on repairs. Florence contacted the US Coast Guard and they were in contact with Philippe via satphone and offered assistance should rescue become necessary. There were two Nordhavns in the Azores and they too were in standby mode should their help have been needed.
Let’s not forget that this adventure was Philippe’s dream. Philippe had first thought of ocean crossing back when he was building yachts. After his massive and debilitating stroke, Philippe set goals for himself, literally one step at a time. Although his balance has been worsening, ability to walk declining, and need for reliance on a wheelchair becoming more full-time, Philippe knew that he needed to implement his ocean-crossing plans sooner rather than later. With the goal of crossing during June and July when the seas would theoretically be the calmest, Philippe put his ocean-crossing plan into action. Boat shopping in January, closing on the yacht in February, making changes to the yacht for his accommodations, and departure from Miami in May, and 4,300 nm later, Philippe, crew, and vessel all arrived in Spain July 12th
I met with Philippe at his home in Miami shortly after his return. I could see that he had lost some weight, his scraggly beard was stylishly attractive although he explained it by telling me he lost his shaver overboard and was awaiting a new one in the mail. And there was Philippe, sitting in his wheelchair, talking philosophically about his family and his journey. Philippe reminded me of something that I hadn’t thought of in the midst of the drama-at-sea that Philippe downplayed so undramatically: while Florence was the landside director, I could hear the stress in her every call. Of course! This was her husband onboard that she had nursed through a death-defying stroke and had played along-side partner to each challenge Philippe undertook in the five years since. But Florence didn’t have just her husband in this tenuous situation, but she also had her two sons onboard. So Philippe began his recounting of the trip details by filling me in on what each of his children is currently undertaking, all said like the proud father he is. I asked Philippe what was next. He gave me two answers: the first one is taking Embracing Life to Hawaii. The 2nd part of that plan was he told me that Florence’s response was asking if he wanted a divorce.
With a twinkle in his eyes, and his ever-present smile, Philippe said that after Embracing Life arrives via Cross Chartering transport back to Florida, he’s installing a new stabilization system, preferably one with active fins, and then he will see. He used the word “patience.” Yes, Philippe has proven that he has a newly defined level of that. He credits his patience and ability to stay calm during the paravane debacle as being the key factor in the crews’ success in arriving safely in port in Spain. Philippe had the “big picture” in mind the whole time. His advice? “Just do it! Whatever your dream, just make your best plans and do it before it’s too late.”
Congratulations, Captain Philippe, you did it! Wishing you safe travels wherever they may take you, and especially for calm seas... always!
